FORMER tennis star Ille Nastase was officially confirmed the loser in the Bucharest mayoral race yesterday.
The result was a clear setback both for the ex champion and for President Ion Iliescu, banking on a Nastase win to boost his own re election effort in November.
The ruling Party of Social Democracy and the government looking ahead to joint presidential and legislative polls next November - had invested heavily in backing Mr Nastase for mayor central election board - said Mr Nastase took 43.2 per cent of the vote against 56.7 for the trade union lawyer, Mr Victor Ciorbea, who ran under the banner of the opposition alliance known as the Democratic Convention in Sunday's second round of municipal elections. The first round was held June 2nd.
The opposition also appeared to win most of Romania's big cities, sharing them between Democratic Convention and the Social Democratic Union of former prime minister Mr Petre Roman. The final results will not be known before Thursday.
The ruling party pressed Mr Nastase, sports star turned businessman, into politics under its banner only four months ago, hoping his charm and broad appeal would reverse the government's flagging image.
But the uncharismatic Mr Ciorbea (42) turned out to be a sharper adversary than expected. Despite his late start and austere appearance, he launched a biting campaign against the "state party regime" he accused of "gangrenous" corruption.
Mr Iliescu came to office on December 22nd, 1989, after communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was ousted before his, execution, and so far has managed to uphold an image as the "quiet father" of democracy in Romania.